A few nights ago we decided to prepare dinner. We had loads of sprouted legumes on hand. So we made a chili.

For extra satiety and creativity, we threw in a cup of sprouted quinoa, too.

I thought that was going to be the end of it. Of course we were going to add spices. But I didn’t pay much attention to what spices Rob was adding. I assumed he was adding the normal spices.

He wasn’t.

I was surprised to smell the aroma coming from the pressure cooker when I opened the lid. It smelled delicious… but it wasn’t how chili normally smelt. It was spicy. It was sweet too. My taste buds could already tell it was going to be delicious. My mouth was watering.

I couldn’t wait to finish taking pictures of the chili and dig in already!

I wasn’t disappointed. A unique balance of spices overwhelmed my mouth in the first bite. It was sweet. It was spicy. It was savory.

It was perfect.

“I think this is the one of the best chili’s I’ve ever had,” I proclaimed after a few bites. Rob nodded, pleased.

We continued to enjoy the chili in silence. After a few more minutes, I felt the need to change my stance.

“Actually, I think this is the best chili I’ve ever had.”

Rob’s response was his confident usual self. “I told you it was going to be good.”

Yes, he tells me his food is going to be good a lot. And the majority of the time it is. Rob’s a fantastic chef who has a wonderful nose for herb and spice combining. He seems to whip up amazing recipes at the drop of a hat.

But I didn’t expect it to be the best chili of my life.

Like usual, however, Rob doesn’t measure spices. Most of the time he doesn’t remember all of the spices he puts in his food.

Right after we finished dinner I asked if he remembered what he put in it. He paused. “Yes, I think so.”

Hallelujah. Most of the time when I ask he has no clue what spices he put in. I already knew that I wanted to share this recipe with you after the first few bites of the chili. Now I was excited that I could actually do it.

We soaked more beans in preparation to make the chili again. We had leftover quinoa and lentils in the fridge, so there was no need to soak more of those.

A few days later , I asked Rob if he would help me make the chili. I was excited to eat it again. I was also eager to share the recipe. I chopped and wrote down ingredients. Rob measured spices. All the while the memory of the taste of the chili filled my thoughts.

The moment of truth came when we opened the lid. It smelled how I remembered it. But I began to question anyways. Was there too much cinnamon? Were we missing an ingredient? Is there enough spiciness?

My worries were soon assuaged. I took my first bite and was in heaven. It was just like how I remembered it. I’m sure there were slight differences between the original and this recipe. But they were so close I couldn’t tell the difference. It was the same spicy and sweet bliss I experienced the first time.

Recipe

Get your taste buds ready for the best vegan quinoa chili of your life. This healthy, sweet chili will make you question all of the other chili’s you’ve ever had. It had me at first bite. I’m sure you’ll love it just as much. The ingredients list is long but this dish is a one-pot meal you can get ready in a flash.